Community-wide initiative to promote the importance of affordable housing in every community.

Created by over 1,000 students, teachers, principals, families, and community leaders from across North Lawndale, Illinois, this mosaic mural was a special opportunity for members of the community to come together and celebrate the launch of the new MLK Historic District.

This District built affordable housing and renewed commercial development to a business area that was almost completely eliminated during the 1968 riots that were sparked by King’s assassination. The 45 residential units and six units of ground floor commercial space are located on 16th Street between Hamlin and Avers and includes the site where Dr. King and his family lived in the summer of 1966 during his campaign against poor housing conditions.

This mosaic mural was also used as the symbol for the MLK Peace Walk in the same community.

It was wonderful to see so many people from every part of the community come together to make the vision for affordable housing in our neighborhood a reality. From groundbreaking to reality, the mosaic mural has become a special part of the MLK Memorial District.

Participants are be able to access the mosaic mural online in the Project S.N.A.P. Online Art Museum, and see how their artwork fits into the “big picture” as well as the artist’s statement that they wrote.